Summer on the Vineyard, riding the wave of July 4th with the traffic, the roundabout and the endless cashing in on another winter of Island absence with three platefuls of fun, one wonders sometimes whether civility has been jettisoned. Perhaps then an evening with Amor Towles the author of Rules of Civility is in order. Mr. Towles, a summer resident of West Chop, will speak on July 11 at 5:30 p.m. at the Federated Church.

Although his book is not really a primer on how to be civil during the summer months it is a magnificent read about life in 1937 New York city. It was a bestseller here and abroad and its French translation received the 2012 Prix Fitzgerald. It was also optioned by Lionsgate Entertainment to be made into a feature film.

Mr. Towles is a former investment banker who has a new novella out called Eve in Hollywood which follows one of the characters of his previous book.

The evening is brought to us by the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. The cost is $8 for museum members and $12 for nonmembers. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

For more information, visit mvmuseum.org.